Are you missing out on a Council Tax reduction?
Allech chi gael gostyngiad yn eich bil Treth Gyngor?
If you’re struggling to pay your Council Tax bill, then help could be available for you through the Welsh Government’s flagship Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS).
The scheme, which will continue to support vulnerable households in 2020-21, currently benefits one in five of all households in Wales. In the last year almost 280,000 low-income households have received help from the scheme, with 220,000 paying no council tax at all. Many more receive other discounts or exemptions.
You may be entitled to pay less council tax if:
- you believe you live on a low income
- you live alone, or with people/children who do not pay council tax
- you are a student
- you are disabled
- you are severely mentally impaired
Understanding why there are still vulnerable households not benefitting from the help they are entitled to is a priority for the Welsh Government. Last year we commissioned research to understand the circumstances of households in Wales and the effects of the UK Government’s Universal Credit on the CTRS.
The interim report out today shows that for many households, the move to Universal Credit can have a significant impact on council tax reduction awards. Whilst many households currently receiving a 100% reduction will continue to do so, for others, the move to Universal Credit is shown to have an adverse impact, particularly for employed households, self-employed households, and working households in receipt of a Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.
Full findings of the interim report are available on the Welsh Government website. These findings will now be considered in more detail to inform the next stages of the research and policy development in this area.
Encouraging people to make sure they are not missing out on help they could be entitled to, Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said:
“Ensuring every household in Wales receives the council tax support they are entitled to is an important part of our commitment to making council tax fairer.
“Our scheme is already helping hundreds of thousands of households across Wales, but we know that there are still many missing out on the discounts, reductions and exemptions they are entitled to. I encourage everyone to check the Welsh Government website to find out if they could be paying less.”
Notes to editors
Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS)
The Council Tax Reduction Scheme is a vital lever that increases the progressiveness of council tax and tackles poverty in Wales.
On 1 April 2013, the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) replaced Council Tax Benefit (CTB) in Wales and eligible households were automatically transferred onto the new scheme. The CTRS Regulations are closely based on previous CTB rules.
The Welsh Government provided local authorities with £244m in 2013-14 to support them in providing all eligible households with their full entitlement to support in meeting their council tax liability. The Welsh Government has maintained these funding arrangements each year since.
In 2018‑19, the average support provided to households was approximately £940 per year. All households are encouraged to contact their local authority if they think they could be eligible or to visit our webpages, particularly if they have recently been migrated to Universal Credit:
Link to interim report: